G. Michael Vasey's Blog: The Wacky World of Dr. Vasey, page 60
January 29, 2015
Lady
She gently brushes my graying face
With her sweet and airy breath
Her musky fragrance pervades
The hallowed space around me
I have plumbed her depths
And I have drank her deeply
Yet, still she is a mystery to me
She gave me life and sustenance
She washed away my pain with her tears
Her embrace is like eternity
She is beneath me and above me
She is always all around me
I breathe in her fragrance deeply
I am hers utterly, completely
Within me and without me
The divine waters ebb and flow
She is my soul. She is my Goddess
She is Life and she will be my death
She is the Grail that I have sought
She is the beginning and the end
She is this life that I have wrought
She gave me will to use or abuse
A gift from the Lady in the Lake
She waited patiently as I grew away
Wizened, she peeled away the years
And upon my return, I found an unspoiled maiden
Who took me back and lead me on
We danced together back to the one…
And eternity
Tagged: Aging, all me, Asteroth, Consciousness
Rewriting History
They say that the winner gets to write history and of course, there is truth in that. History is always a subjective assessment and there are always several points of view just as when several people observe an event and yet recollect it differently. Another aspect of history is that we often make the mistake of judging by today’s standards forgetting that the historical culture might possibly be not just different but totally alien to us in our time. None the less, history is important we just need to remember that it is imperfect.
In the past, history came mainly from school, books and TV. The message was fairly consistent and led us to believe in a certain take on history. These days, with internet and social media, we are exposed to many different histories where there used to be one. Much of the time, as individuals reading these different versions we are unqualified to decide or judge which may be the closest to the truth. It is, or can be, deeply disturbing to read an alternate version of history, especially one that rubs up against our taught view.
I think its good to have different versions or views on historical events. It makes one think and it challenges long-held viewpoints. However, there is also a lot of nefarious rewriting of history that deeply disturbs me and often is accepted as fact by people on social media who simply are not qualified to be able to decide the truth or fiction of what they read. I was reminded of one today by an article in the Hull Daily Mail of all papers. The article was published a couple of days ago on the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Belson concentration camp. It is here for those of you interested enough to follow a link.
What is compelling about such an article is that it was written by an eye witness on the day that the camp was liberated. It is blunt and it is horrific reading. Maybe some people don’t want to believe that humanity is capable of such things, maybe some people simply hate jews, maybe some people want to believe that somehow this whole story was made up for reasons of religion, politics or nationalism. I have no idea why people increasingly feel the need to rewrite history in radical ways. Perhaps humans simply cannot forgive themselves for being human and for being less than perfect. I do not know. I know this though, if we are to learn anything from the past, we must accept that such things did happen and strongly reject attempts to distort and confuse.
Here is an excerpt from the article – I do hope the Hull Daily Mail won’t be too unhappy with me for reproducing it here…
In one hut I found about 50 men huddled almost sore-to-sore. One seemed to have a rail over his head — then you recognised his arms. One seemed just bone till you went close to him and saw that he had skin as well. One, for scabs, could see only through narrow slits of eyes. One was trying to bite rotting wood. One was trying to stand on string-like legs that dangled from a torso the thickness of a naval hawser. But they all said “Hello,” and tried to smile. Half these men were professors, inventors, intellectuals, industrialists, some of them Jews
Tagged: history, holocaust
January 28, 2015
Japan and Birmingham
I play a lot of music during the day as I work in my home office. It never ceases to amaze me the power of music. In particular, its power to evoke memories and trigger mood and emotional responses. If I want to meditate, I simply go to youtube these days and select a nice suitable piece of music and I am off to other spheres…..
Today, I played some Japan. It has been a long time since I did and I was immediately transported back to Birmingham and 1979. My best friend at college – Steve – introduced me to Japan one afternoon at his flat. We were playing Dungeons and Dragons and he put one of their albums on. I loved the music and the deep rumbling of David Sylvian’s voice. I immediately went out and bought that record – and the next and the next. I devoured Japan music. Now, I listen and I am back in that room all of those years ago……. that is the power of music. 35-years on but ‘Nightporter’ sends me back in time every time.
I also went to see Japan. In Glasgow while doing my Ph.D. Perhaps they were an acquired taste but I could get no one to go with me and so I went alone. Amazing evening. Given it was a sell out at the Glasgow Apollo I have to wonder why none of my friends wanted to go? The music of Japan accompanied me to Nova Scotia and periodically through my life. I still adore David Sylvian’s voice and have two of his solo efforts too.
It makes me wonder. What music will I associate with now? In a few years time, will I be transported back to my office in our apartment here in Brno by the sound of some artist or song? I guess I will.
Here is some David Sylvian to float to –
Tagged: Aging, Childhood memories, dreaming, Music
January 27, 2015
Real Ghost Stories Online
Tonight, one of my stories – Medium – from My Haunted Life Too was featured on the Real Ghost Stories online podcast (January 27th edition).
Real Ghost Stories Online is a website that does a show via podcast available on iTunes. According to the site, the show is a combination of interviews, verbally submitted ghost stories and written ghost stories sent to us by listeners all over the world.
It’s very professionally done and really a great listen. The website is filled with great features too. I recommend it.
Tonight’s podcast is available on iTunes and will be also available below – don’t miss it. Medium begins at 16:55 in the podcast.
Tagged: Books, medium, My Haunted Life Too, Real Ghost Stories Online
The Art of Science – Cover Reveal
The Art of Science – due out sometime in February – is my new collection of poetry. (Yes – I still pop out poetry like its going out of fashion in the simple hope that one day it will be back in fashion…).
However, dah dah!
The cover is now revealed… Designed by Nick Wale…. I love it!
Tagged: Announcements, Books, Poetry, The art of science
US Blues
Here is a funny and strange thing. While my Haunted Life books sit in the Amazon supernatural charts in the UK and around 5-10 books a day are consumed (thanks so much!), the US has deserted me. Its bizarre because I spent 20 years there and have more friends and contacts there than anywhere else……Hell, my three sons still live there! It’s also a large market and one that I need to crack to make progress.
Take for example, January to date. UK – book sales in three figures (that in of itself is a first!) whereas in the USA just 35 sales…….
I have the US blues…
Any ideas fellow authors, scribblers and dreamers as to how to get the great US public to buy my books?
Tagged: Announcements, Books
January 26, 2015
G. Michael Vasey Talks Writing, Publishing and Where His Inspiration Comes From…
A new interview with yours truly…
Originally posted on Paradox Paranormal:
G. Michael Vasey is one of those unique writers you come across on a hot summer day. I have marvelled at this interview, and I’ve wondered what I can really say about it. I like this writer—a lot—and I can’t wait for you to like him, too! His book The Last Observer is a bit of everything, and that is the best way to describe this interview. It’s a bit of everything!
G. Michael Vasey is currently touring radio stations. Catch his breathtaking interview with “The X Zone” today.
Who do you have in mind when you write?
Me. I write about my interests and things that I am passionate about. I trust that the end product is something of interest to others and that I have something unique to offer – my perspective and one that is entertaining and different.
How do you find “inspiration” and where does it…
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Battle Cry! (From My Haunted Life 3)
Here is a short story from My Haunted Life 3 - out now on Kindle…..
My Dad told me this creepy story several times when I was growing up. His childhood wasn’t so great and so he liked to escape at weekends or whenever he could. His best friend, Jack, and he, loved to cycle, camp and hike around East Yorkshire and that’s what they did just anytime they could. It was the years directly after the war and there was little traffic or other people to bother them.
One night, they pitched their small two-man tent in a farmer’s field near Long Marston. They knew very well that, in the vicinity, many years ago, a battle had taken place there during the English Civil war – The battle of Marston Moor. It was partly why they were there as they both had a love of history as well as the outdoors.
They retired as dusk came as they were heading back in the morning and needed to get up early to allow sufficient time for the trip. Cycling all day is tiring and so they had no problems sleeping.
Around 1am, a hand shaking his shoulder woke my Dad up. It was pitch black. As he awoke he heard Jack’s voice,
“Nev, Nev, do you hear that?”
Dad listened and to his amazement he could hear the thudding of horses galloping, men shouting and screaming and the clash of steel on steel. This was taking place in a thunderstorm and was accompanied by the sound of rain, thunder and huge flashes of lightening. He was horrified.
The two of them sat in the dark listening to what he described as a cacophony of battle sounds all around their little tent in the field. They dare not move. They dare not look outside the tent. They simply sat there wide-eyed with cold sweat dribbling down their icy cold necks listening to the sounds of a Civil War battle in a thunderstorm going on around them.
As soon as dawn began to break, the sounds faded. They got up, skipped breakfast, and got out of there as soon as they could. The field was totally empty when they finally summed up the courage to leave the tent.
The experience obviously had a big impact on him because he would often tell my brothers and I the tale of the night the Battle of Marston Moor took place. I think what had shocked him more was that, when checking up on the battle years later, he discovered that it did actually take place in a thunderstorm.
If you enjoyed this, why not buy one of the My Haunted Life series? Or, if you would like to write a review of one of these books on Amazon, I will gift you the book (provided you agree to sign up to my mailing list and promise to write the review!). You can buy one of these Amazon supernatural hits below;
Tagged: creepy, My Haunted Life, my haunted life 3, My Haunted Life Too, short story
January 24, 2015
Round and Around
You take a look
Rubber necking
Double-checking
A scene in a nightmare
Villainy is afoot
Thieving time
Wicked crime
Another naked stare
Ripped, stripped
Of my dignity
Another victim
Of the inner city
Caught on camera
Grainy black n white
Smiling smiley face
Criminal appetite
It’s all a mess
I have to confess
My criminality
In the court of humanity
Send me down
Make me pay
Hang around
Throw the key away
Done
Time served
Run
Swerve
Crash
People take another look
Rubber necking
Double-checking
A scene in a nightmare
Tagged: poem
Let us support fellow writers!
A Nice article about writers by an exceptionally gifted writer herself… Alienora Taylor. Check out her books on Amazon.
Originally posted on ALIEN AURA'S BLOG: IT'LL BLOW YOUR MIND!:
Most fellow writers are on the same journey that we, individually, have embarked upon – and sometimes it is easy to get so wrapped up in our own quest for a small bask in the limelight, that we forget about the hopes and aspirations of others. I certainly have been guilty of this in recent days and weeks!
The three writers I am mentioning today are all known to me one way or another – though I have not, as yet, met any of them in the flesh! One is a Facebook friend; the second was at Aberystwyth University at the same time as me, though we never actually bumped into one another – and the third one’s book was recommended by a WordPress friend.
I read Gary Vasey’s ‘The Last Observer’ a year ago and thought it a terrific, thought-provoking read – so much so that I reviewed…
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